The main objective of rural development is poverty alleviation. The role of agriculture, which is the predominant economic activity in rural areas, is crucial in the eradication of poverty and food insecurity.

The agricultural sector is going now through a phase of rapid change to meet the growing demand for food in a sustainable manner, So, development of agriculture to meet these rapid changes will be one of the main duties of Agriculture Extension in the coming years, helping farming families to adapt their production and marketing policies with the rapid changes in social conditions, economic policy, and thus increase their ability to adapt their lives according to their own priorities and the priorities of the community over the long –term

Agricultural extension is considered one of the most important instruments responsible for the achievement of agricultural and rural development; it works to improve the standard of living of rural people by overcoming the problems of agricultural production through application of Modern agricultural techniques which are suitable to local environmental conditions.

The success of extension programs will be determined to a large degree by the ability of the extension worker to be qualified and competent since the whole extension process is dependent on them to transfer new ideas and technical advice to the rural people

Duhok governorate in Northern Iraqi Kurdistan is a predominantly rural area which traditionally relied on agriculture and animal husbandry as important sources of income. According to recent studies that the percentage of extension workers to farmers in Duhok governorate is (1 extension worker /896 farmer) and according to the standards that this ratio must not exceed (1-500), This shows the necessary need to a staff specialized in Agricultural Extension and qualified to guide farmers and their families and contribute to the achievement of real development in agriculture and rural areas in Duhok province and the Kurdistan region in general.

Department vision

The Department of Agriculture extension and rural society seeks to contribute in the improvement of social and economic well-being of the rural society in Kurdistan region and Iraq by graduating students capable of contributing to:

sustainable socio-economics practices in agriculture and rural family livelihood.

Solving critical problems of agriculture through the provision of high-quality programs that are based on the real needs of Farmers and rural Society.

Department objectives:

Producing qualified and well trained extension agents to work in the fields of agricultural extension to work in the different agricultural sectors.

Conducting the applied scientific researches in the different branches of agricultural extension to study the problems that face the improvement of production and recommend the suitable solutions for them.

Contributing in developing the agricultural awareness for farmers and distributing the modern agricultural information in the fields of agribusiness and agricultural marketing in coordination with Agriculture extension Center in Duhok Governorate.

Participating in serving the local community through the workshops and training programs conducted by Agriculture extension Center and College of Agriculture or other governmental and non-governmental organizations.

Participation in delivering the technical agricultural studies for the concerned companies and organizations and people.

About the department:

The Agriculture Extension and Rural Society Department is the recent departments of the College, which has been established in 11/7/2015 and plays a major role in terms of educational and research programs. The first acceptance of undergraduate students is 2015-2016.

The Education Program:

The Agriculture Extension and Rural Society Department implements its goals and objectives through well balanced integration between education, research, and outreach activities. In order to facilitate achieving the mission of the department, Agriculture Extension and Rural Society activities may be divided into several areas of interest.

Rural Sociology.

Adult Education.

Rural Leaderships.

Educational Physiology.

Agricultural Media.

Social Development.

Extension Management.

Communication.

Extension Program Building.

Extension Program Evaluation.

Technology Transfer.

Extension Environment.

Extension Training.

Extension Marketing.

Postgraduate studying

All postgraduate students in the department will normally attend and pass a number of inter-disciplinary postgraduate courses. In addition, they will attend and pass examinations in prescribed courses relevant to their field of specialization.

Duration:-

M. Sc.

Studying system: courses + Thesis (research) for 2 years.

Students are required to successfully complete credit hour courses with thesis.

Ph.D.

Studying system: courses + Dissertation (research) for 3 years.

Students are required to successfully complete credit hour courses with Dissertation.

Careers for Graduates:

The Agriculture Extension and Rural Society Department offers diverse areas of studies to prepare them for careers in public and private sectors. Careers include:

Ministry of Agriculture / Agriculture Extension sector.

Agricultural quarantines.

High school education.

Research Institutes.

Private sector (Agricultural companies).

NGOs

Strategies for Development:

A coherent and high quality curriculum has been developed to fulfill the intended purposes of student progression and achievement which lead directly to employment or prepare for graduate studies. The department will work hard to improve its teaching and learning facilities which will boost the quality of education delivered to the students.

Agriculture Extension and Rural Society Department staff members by rank: